


Moves Like Jagged

by caterinawrites



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, Crack, F/M, Fluff, Not Canon Compliant, Season 2 spoilers, adrien is just confused, marinette needs a drink, wingman jagged stone, written before canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-03-03 05:57:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13334898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caterinawrites/pseuds/caterinawrites
Summary: After the events of Troublemaker, Jagged Stone can't help but feel like something is missing in his life, an obligation that he's not fulfilling, but when he decides to set Marinette up with her crush, she is desperate to find a way out of it. Will true love prevail, or will Jagged's wild antics sink this ship forever?





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

After such a long day, Jagged Stone should have fallen asleep the moment his head touched the pillow, and yet, he laid awake in his hotel suite with Fang curled up beside him. He stroked his rough companion absentmindedly as he tried to pinpoint the source of his insomnia. Something inside him felt off, but he couldn’t quite place _what_ exactly. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Penny had been akumatized that afternoon, but those teen superheroes had taken care of that in no time. It could have been his hotel dinner, but he shared that with Fang, and his beloved beastie slept beside him perfectly fine.  

Yet something in the pit of his stomach just felt off, and he couldn’t quite ignore it. He felt as if there was something he needed to do, and he felt that familiar itch in his finger tips that he got when he felt stressed. He needed a guitar, so he kicked off his sheets and retrieved his axe from the case on the floor then stepped out onto the balcony. As he strummed the strings, his mind recounted the events of the day. The reality show gig, his favorite little designer and her little crush…

That was it!

Ever since he’d been in Marinette’s room, he couldn’t get over all of those pictures of that kid on her wall. Marinette had done so much for him, and she bled raw talent. In all honesty, Jagged felt a sort of kinship with her because she just _got it_ , so maybe it was that bond that made him feel like there was something he should do for her. To pay her back for saving his album from Bob’s hipster clutches and helping him maintain his authentic rock n roll image, and he knew exactly what he needed to do.

He was going to help her land a date with that little blond boy on her wall.

“Rock n roll, baby!” He called into the night, strumming a riff enthusiastically. He had work to do.

The next day, Marinette returned home from another day at school. Everyone was talking about the reality show catastrophe, and frankly, she was surprised by how few individuals pointed out her Adrien wall. Still, she couldn’t even look at Adrien all day for fear of backlash, but she knew she’d have to face him eventually. Maybe it wouldn’t be that bad. Maybe she could play it off somehow, and he wouldn’t think she was some crazy obsessed stalker fan. As if she could be that lucky.

“Hey, Mama, Papa,” She greeted, entering the bakery and pecking her mother on the cheek.

“How was school today, sweetheart?” Sabine asked while Tom shifted pastries around in the oven.

“Hectic, but I made it through,” She replied with a weary sigh.

“Is everyone talking about the show yesterday?” Tom inquired over his shoulder.

“Yeah. I’m sorry things got so out of hand. I didn’t anticipate any of… _that_ to happen,” She said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

“Oh, it happens. Don’t worry about it,” Her father ruffled her hair, and she gave him a grateful smile before stretching up to kiss his cheek.

Just as she turned to head upstairs, a certain famous rock star burst through the front door, jingling the bell as he entered. Tom’s shoulder’s tensed a little as he removed his sunglasses and strutted up to the counter.

“Perfect, just the little lady I was hoping to see. You got a minute, Marinette?” He asked, and she glanced over at her parents who wore concerned expressions.

“Uh, sure?” She said, shifting her gaze back to him, and before she could process what was happening, he took her wrist and led her out to the café next door, plopping her into a seat at a table. “Is everything alright, Mr. Stone?”

“Marinette, you know me well enough, poppet. Call me Jagged,” He insisted, patting her shoulder.

“Okay…Jag-ged, um, what can I do for you?” She glanced between his hand and his face nervously, wondering just what he could need from her at this point. A new album cover? A new outfit to wear on stage?

“Not this time, Marinette.” Jagged shook his head. “This time, I’m going to help you.”

“Uh, with what?”

“I’m gonna help you get a date with that blond boy all over your wall,” He said with a cheery grin, and Marinette felt her stomach drop.

“You’re going to _what_?”

“You heard me. That Agreste kid from all the perfume ads. You’ve got some crush on him, huh?” He said with an amused grin. “I’m gonna help you tell him your feelings.”

Marinette stared at him, dumbstruck, before her chest began to heave rapidly. “No, no, no! I can’t tell him.”

“What? Why not?” Jagged’s eyebrows furrowed but then a knowing smile curled on his lips. “Oh, I see what’s going on here. You’re nervous, but don’t worry, girl. Jagged Stone is here to help.”

Marinette covered her face with her hands, a low moan rumbling in her throat. This was not happening. She knew Adrien was going to find out eventually, and she knew Jagged only meant well, but she wasn’t ready to tell him yet! Especially not after yesterday!

“I’m feeling a song coming on. Tell me about this boy. What do you like about him?” He said, taking out a pen and notepad.

“Um, well, he’s sweet and smart and perfect at everything,” She replied, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

“When did you realize you liked him?”

“Well, the first time I met him, I actually _didn’t_ like him very much. He was friends with a mean girl at my school, and I thought he was just another spoiled brat. But after school, it was raining, and I had left my umbrella at home, and Adrien came by and told me he’d never been to school or had friends before, and he gave me his umbrella. I realized then that he wasn’t mean or spoiled at all, just the opposite…I’ve had a crush on him ever since.”

Jagged nodded as he scribbled down notes while she spoke. When she finished, he set the notebook down and picked up his guitar. “Oh, yeah, girl. I’m gonna write a killer ballad to capture your feelings. How would you like to help?” He asked, and her eyebrows raised.

“You want _me_ to help _you_ write a song?” She repeated for confirmation.

“Well, it’s about your feelings. Whatdya say?”

“I-I don’t know. I’m not a song writer. You’ll be better at it than me,” She said, biting the nail on her index finger.

“Suit yourself, love. I’ve got to go to my secret garden of inspiration. We’ll regroup tonight and go to his house.”

“What? Tonight?” She gasped, but Jagged was already gone.

“What just happened?” She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Oh, come on, Marinette. You were going to have to tell him eventually, and you have _the_ Jagged Stone to help you,” Tikki whispered encouragingly.

“That’s what worries me,” Marinette sighed. “Jagged is an amazing rockstar, but he can be a little…extreme.”

“Have confidence, Marinette! Adrien thinks you’re amazing, _and_ he’s a Jagged Stone fan.”

“Yeah,” Marinette said dreamily, leaning against her fist with a distant gaze. “But I haven’t had time to talk to him after the reality show snafu, or, well, I purposefully avoided him today, but still. What if he thinks I’m a total stalker now?”

“Then it’s up to you to convince him otherwise!” Tikki cheered, and Marinette slumped a little.

“I need to find a way out of this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy. Okay, so I’ve actually had this chapter for a couple months cause I got this idea way back when the SDCC video was released. So it’s based on the script reading they did at SDCC of the episode Troublemaker, and if you didn’t see that video you can look it up on youtube, but basically in Troublemaker, Jagged Stone’s assistant gets akumatized, but in the episode, they are filming a TV show at Marinette’s house, and Jagged sees her Adrien wall and so does the rest of Paris because it gets broadcast on TV, so I came up with this fic idea after watching that and thought it was fun. It’s gonna be super cracky, but it will have its serious moments, so I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> I know I’ve been kind of sporadic lately with posting cause life has been crazy, but I posted my new upload schedule on tumblr, so follow me there (purrincess-chat) if you want to know when I’ll be updating what and when. Let me know what you think so far in the comments, and I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> Oh, also a thanks to my pal TheBlackAngel on discord for coming up with the title. It’s a play on the song ‘Moves Like Jagger’ and I thought it was pretty great.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When nightfall came, Marinette’s knees shook anxiously as she stole glances at the clock. It was getting late, and there was still no sign of Jagged which served to both soothe and frazzle her nerves simultaneously. Perhaps he’d changed his mind, or more frighteningly, maybe his elaborate scheme required a lot of work. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, but she kept having flashbacks of the pictures on her wall broadcasting on live television and proceeded to bite her hair.

When her phone rang, she nearly jumped out of her skin, fumbling to answer it in a panic, “H-Hello?”

“Marinette!” Jagged sang on the other end, and she pulled the phone away from her ear to read the number on her screen. “Are you ready to go or what?”

“Jagged? How did you get my number?” She asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“I put it in my phone when you were busy prattling on about your little crush,” He replied, and she heard a car passing in the background.

“So, about this plan of yours-”

“Right, are you coming out? We’ve got to get going if we want to make it there before he goes to bed,” Jagged said with a hint of impatience.

“Jagged, I don’t know if I can do this,” She admitted, chewing her lip. “I mean, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him about the pictures on my wall or the show or really anything.”

“Don’t worry, poppet, you’ve got your Uncle Jagged here to help you. Now hurry up and get your pigtails out here.” Marinette sighed, shifting her feet a little before nodding in determination.

“Okay, I’ll be right there,” She said with a gulp.

“That’s the spirit!”

When she made it outside, Jagged perked up and wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a reassuring pat though his soothing reassurances that everything would be fine and to relax fell on deaf ears as they left her house and rounded the corner toward Adrien’s mansion. Her pits felt sweaty, and she repeatedly wiped her palms on her pants. She wasn’t ready to face Adrien yet, and if he didn’t already know about her crush from the reality show disaster then he would know tonight for sure. What if he rejected her in front of Jagged? Her stomach clenched at the thought, and she swore she’d see her dinner again. She needed to stay calm and think of a way out of this. Jagged liked her, and he was bound to listen to reason if she was persistent enough, right?

“Jagged, what if he doesn’t feel the same way about me?” She asked as they walked, and he cocked his head to one side, eyes narrowing a little.

“A girl as talented as you? Let’s be serious,” He said shortly, shaking his head.

“Well, the thing is, when I talk to him, sometimes my words don’t always come out right, and I’m not exactly sure that I can tell him tonight.” She twirled her fingers and pursed her lips

They were right outside Adrien’s window now, and Jagged moved over to a large grand piano that took up the entirety of the sidewalk.

“How did you get a piano here?” She asked, and Jagged glanced at it nonchalantly.

“I know a guy.” He shrugged. “You’re worrying too much, Marinette. I’ve been working all day on this song, and there’s no way he’ll be able to refuse you.”

“Look, Jagged, I’m not sure if tonight is the best time to- What are you doing?” She flinched as he hurled a pebble at Adrien’s window.

“Haven’t you seen all the movies? We have to get his attention.” He stated simply with an impish grin. “Would you like to throw one?”

“No, I would not!” She hissed, glancing nervously up at the window.

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged before tossing another one.

“Jagged!” She caught his wrist before he could throw the next one.

How did she get herself into these situations? Standing outside the love of her life’s window in the middle of the night with a famous rockstar, who had her phone number she might add, who was hell-bent on setting them up, and while she appreciated the gesture, she was absolutely mortified by the reality. Why did life pick her for all of its craziness? Wasn’t being a superheroine enough?

“Shh, here he comes,” He said, rubbing his hands together excitedly and taking his seat at the piano and beginning to pluck out a soft melody.

Adrien peeked out his window with furrowed brows that raised in alarm when he saw the piano and Jagged Stone. Marinette offered him a sheepish wave, and he clicked a button on his remote that opened the pane outward.

“Jagged Stone?” He gaped with a small smile. “Marinette, what’s going on? And how did you guys get a piano out here?”

“I know a guy!” Jagged called with a grin, and Marinette’s face fell into her hand. “Go on then. Tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

“Nothing! I have nothing to tell you. Jagged and I were just on a stroll with this piano, it’s a weird thing he does, gets the creative juices flowing, artists, ya know, but anyways, we don’t mean to disturb you, so have a nice night!” She said in a rush, gesticulating anxiously before tugging Jagged up from the bench and shoving him back toward the direction of her house.

“What we can’t go yet! You haven’t told him that you love-”

“Penguins!” She shouted over him. “I love penguins! That’s what I wanted to tell you. Thanks for the reminder, Jagged. Yes, I _love_ penguins. They’re just so cute, and did you know that some penguins can swim as fast as 35 kph, fascinating right? Okay, well, that’s all I wanted to say, so see you at school tomorrow!”

“O-kay. Later then,” He said slowly, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

“Actually, wasn’t there one more thing you wanted to tell him, Marinette?” Jagged said, digging his heels into the ground and tugging her back to the side of the house.

“No, I’m pretty sure that was it,” She replied through gritted teeth.

“Don’t worry, love, Uncle Jagged’s got your back,” He whispered with a wink before turning back to Adrien. “See, the whole reason we came tonight was so that Marinette could confess her-afhrmph.”

Marinette jumped on his back, clamping a hand over his mouth, cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. Jagged gave her a prompting look, and she sighed, glancing up nervously at Adrien, adorned with the most bewildered frown. Squaring her shoulders, she released her hold and straightened her spine, clasping her hands together in front of her.

“Adrien, the truth is…I-”

“What is the meaning of this?” A stern growl sounded to their left, and three heads whipped around to see Gabriel Agreste towering at the corner of the street.

“Who’s that?” Jagged whispered, leaning down in Marinette’s ear.

“Adrien’s dad.”

“Oh.” His lips puckered in thought. “He doesn’t look very friendly.”

“He’s not.”

“Should we run?”

“Probably.” Marinette nodded in affirmation.

“Who gave you permission to loiter around my property and harass my son? Leave before I call the police!” Gabriel shouted, and Marinette took Jagged’s wrist.

“Yes, sir! I’m terribly sorry,” She apologized as she and Jagged dashed up the street. “See you at school, Adrien!”

Adrien winced, offering a small wave as they disappeared before closing his window and retreating back into his room. What an odd girl that Marinette was, though he did envy her apparent connection with Jagged Stone, and as he flopped back in his desk chair to finish his homework, he wondered what Marinette had intended to say at the end of that sentence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter of this~ Hopefully you liked it. This story is a lot of crack, but it will have its more serious moments. See you all soon! Next on my list to update is Lady Luck, and also next week I will be posting a fic for an exchange that I was part of, so look forward to that! Also also, I’m really close to 1000 followers on tumblr, so I will likely be writing something special for that when it happens, so keep your eyes peeled this week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The following morning, Marinette climbed down the stairs reluctantly, forehead scrunched with worry as she made her way to the café next door. She took her place at the table, curling her shoulders as Jagged set down his newspaper and peeked over his sunglasses with a disappointed frown. Neither of them said anything for several moments, and pressure built in her lungs until she couldn’t stand the tension anymore.

“I’m so sorry, Jagged!” She blurted, covering her face.

“What happened last night, Marinette? Everything was going so perfectly. What was all of the penguin business?” He asked, shaking his head.

“Sorry, Jagged, I should have warned you,” She said, peeking through her fingers. “Whenever I talk to Adrien, my words don’t tend to come out right. I just clam up and start stammering and…yeah.”

Jagged sat back, pressing his palms together over his mouth while he thought. Marinette shifted uncomfortably in her seat, bracing herself for what was inevitably to come. Jagged would probably give up on her and rule her a lost cause then he would always think she was lame for being too scared to talk to a single boy. She had enjoyed their friendship while it lasted.

“You’re going to need more help than I thought,” He said decidedly after some time, sitting forward again to take a sip of his coffee. “Good thing for you, I love a challenge.”

“You what?” Her eyebrows raised in surprise as he stood up.

“I know what I have to do. Just hang tight and let your uncle Jagged work.” He draped an arm over her shoulders with a wink. “When I’m finished, you two will be hearing wedding bells.”

“You think so?” Marinette’s cheeks flushed, and she cupped a hand to her face, biting back a smile.

“Of course, love. With me helping you, there’s no way we can fail.” He waved his arm as if showing her the bigger picture. “I’m gonna do some solo work. You go off to school and make good grades or whatever I’m supposed to encourage kids to do nowadays.”

“O-kay,” Marinette said, waving as Jagged donned his sunglasses, grabbed his newspaper, and slinked up the street inconspicuously before she sat back with a sigh. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

***

Adrien climbed the stairs in the school courtyard nervously, approaching Mr. Damocles’ office as thousands of thoughts raced through his head. Why was he being called to the principal’s office? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Sure, he’d been late to physics a few times in the past few weeks, but it wasn’t like he was ditching on purpose. Hawkmoth kept making akumas, and he couldn’t just _not_ be a superhero. Hopefully Mr. Damocles wouldn’t send a letter home about this. If his father found out he’d been missing class, he would pull Adrien out of school for sure!

“You wanted to see me, Mr. Damocles?” Adrien announced, knocking on the door as he entered.

“Yeah, come in and sit. I want to have a little chat.”

Adrien gulped, letting the door shut behind him as he stepped inside and took a seat. His fingers drummed on the arm of the chair until the chair spun around, and he found himself face-to-face with Jagged Stone.

“No way! But you’re not-” Jagged held up a hand, a smirk curling on his lips.

“Yeah, yeah, I know who I am,” He said, leaning back and propping his feet up on the desk. “You and I need to have a little chat.”

“Wait, so I’m not in trouble, am I?” Adrien’s eyebrows creased, and Jagged shrugged. “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“I wanna talk to you one-on-one, man-to-man, rockstar-to-whatever it is you do with the perfume ads.” He waved it away. “Now, if you had to pick, what would you say is your ideal girl?”

“My ideal girl?” Adrien tilted his head to the side. “Why is that-”

“Ah, ah!” Jagged held up a hand. “Just answer.”

“Okay…Uh, I guess someone who’s smart and kind and who loves me for me, not just because I’m famous, someone I can be myself around,” He said, rubbing the back of his neck with a shrug, and Jagged nodded thoughtfully, jotting his answers down in a notepad.

“Are you currently in love with anyone?” He continued without looking up, and Adrien felt his cheeks flush.

“Uh…”

“Yes or no, boy?” Jagged pressed, waving his hand in a motion for him to hurry up.

“There’s a girl, yeah.” He said finally with a nod, and Jagged scribbled something in his notes again.

“And she fits all of those things you mentioned?” Jagged asked, and a dreamy smile curled on Adrien’s lips.

“Everything and more,” He sighed.

“Is this girl a friend?” Jagged continued.

“Yeah, she’s a good friend, and I see her every day. She’s the most amazing girl I’ve ever met.” He blushed, shifting his gaze to his lap shyly. “I only wish that she would open up to me more.”

“So, this girl, she has trouble speaking to you?” Jagged arched a brow.

“Well, not exactly. It’s complicated, but she kind of _can’t_ talk to me,” He said, choosing his words carefully.

“I see.” Jagged rubbed his beard. “This girl you like. Does she go to school here? Is she in your class?”

“Maybe.” He shrugged, and Jagged’s eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

“A bit shy, huh? No worries. I totally understand,” He nodded in understanding. “Can you tell me about what she looks like?”

“Well, she’s gorgeous. She’s got the softest black hair that always smells like flowers, the most incredible blue eyes, and tiny little freckles across her nose.” He listed, leaning his head back as he pictured her in his mind.

Jagged stopped writing, shooting up out of the chair with a grin. Adrien flinched as he moved around the desk and pulled him to his feet, crushing him into a bear hug. Although he didn’t quite understand what was going on, he wasn’t one to question Jagged Stone.

“I knew there was no way that you wouldn’t be in love with Marinette,” Jagged laughed triumphantly, and Adrien felt his spine stiffen.

“Marinette?” He leaned away from Jagged in confusion. “No, she’s just-”

“Mr. Damocles?” The speaker on the desk called out. “Sir, there seems to be a crocodile in the girl’s restroom. Can you call animal control?”

“Well, that’s my cue. Being a principal is hard work.” He grabbed his notepad from the desk and flipped the cover closed. “Listen to your parents, just say no and all that jazz. Jagged out.”

Adrien watched in confusion as he crossed the room in quick strides, disappearing out the door as the speaker called out for assistance once more, sounding more frantic than the first time, and he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with more of this!! I'm actually hoping to try to work on this and finish it soon. Now that Troublemaker has aired I've been reinspired. Not much has changed for this fic as far as what happened in canon, if anything I just changed the ending of the episode. So instead of him confronting her in the locker room, she successfully avoids him. But don't worry, Adrien hasn't forgotten the pictures. ;)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Marinette, hey!” Jagged waved as she stormed over to their usual meeting table. “How was school?”

“Oh, you mean you don’t know?” She said accusingly, shoulders tense. “Why were you at the school today?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He said innocently.

“There was a crocodile in the girls’ bathroom.”

“Maybe your school has a pest problem.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“I saw you dragging Fang out the front door.” She gave him a look, but he averted his gaze, examining his nails instead.

“Must have been an imposter.”

“Jagged.” Marinette slapped a palm to her forehead with a sigh.

“Alright, I may have gone on a little reconnaissance mission to find out some information from your boy-”

“You talked to Adrien?” She shouted, surging forward. “Oh, Jagged, please tell me you didn’t tell him for me!”

“Relax, girl, I would never steal your thunder.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “All I did was ask him if he likes you.”

“You did _what?_ ”

“Good news, he’s totally into you!” Jagged said with a grin, and Marinette stopped short, every cell in her body freezing in place.

“He what?”

“He told me that he likes a smart girl with black hair, freckles, and blue eyes who he wishes would open up to him more,” Jagged recounted. “Who else would he be talking about?”

“Well,” Marinette drawled, biting her lip before shaking her head. “Did he say my name specifically, or did you just infer it from his description?”

“Well, he didn’t say your name, shy just like you, but I said it, and he didn’t deny it,” Jagged said. “Of course, I did leave right after to go get Fang from the girls’ room.”

“Jagged!” Marinette whined, covering her face.

“Don’t worry! If he doesn’t already like you, we’ll just have to make him fall for you.” He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “With a girl like you, it shouldn’t be too hard, especially with me helping. And if he can’t see how incredible you are then you’ll just have to kick him to the curb. Talent like yours should be appreciated, Marinette. Never settle for second best.”

Marinette smiled at that as Jagged bit into a cookie, and she leaned over to hug his side.

“Thanks, Jagged.” She said, and he patted her shoulder.

“Now then, let’s plan our next move.”

***

“Too slow,” Kagami taunted later that afternoon during fencing practice as she scored another touch. “You’re losing by more than usual today, Adrien.”

“I had a kind of weird day,” He admitted, rolling his shoulder.

“How so?” She asked as they repositioned.

“Well, I got called to the principal’s office,” He said, parrying her attack. “But when I got there, Jagged Stone was sitting at his desk.”

“The rockstar?” Kagami tilted her head a little, offering Adrien an opening to score a touch.

“Yeah, he said he wanted to talk to me.” Adrien shrugged.

“To you? About what?”

“I’m not sure. He asked me about what I like in a girl and stuff.” He lunged forward, but Kagami parried quickly. “I wonder if it had something to do with why he and Marinette were at my house last night.”

Kagami paused and lifted her mask.

“Marinette and Jagged Stone were at your house?” She quirked a brow.

“Uh, yeah. Last night. It was kind of weird. They were walking around with a piano because it helps Jagged write songs or something then Marinette started talking about penguins…” He shrugged again making a face.

“Are you sure you didn’t dream all that?” Kagami said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, I think Marinette wants to tell me something,” He said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I dunno, but earlier when I was talking to Jagged, he thought that I liked her.”

“Well, don’t you?” Kagami laughed, and Adrien’s eyebrows raised.

“What? No! She and I are-”

“- _just friends.”_ Kagami said in time with him, holding up air quotes and rolling her eyes.

“Tell me, Adrien, how many other girls do you light up around when they walk into a room?” She asked, cocking a hip to the side.

“I do that?” He blinked in disbelief, jaw dropping a little.

“How many girls do you sneak up on or constantly wink at?” He pursed his lips, recalling all of the guilty instances. “Or constantly touch? Stand closer to than necessary? How many soft smiles do you give other girls?”

“Marinette is just really awesome, okay? Everyone thinks that!” His cheeks burned red, and his lame suddenly felt ten degrees hotter.

“Yeah, but other people don’t get the same twinkle in their eye when they talk about her.” Kagami said pointedly. “Not to mention she has all of those posters of you in her room, so she clearly likes you.”

“It’s not like that. I’m sure they’re just for reference. She’s into fashion, you know,” He said defensively, and Kagami gave him a look.

“You’re not that bothered that she’s a fan of yours then?” She quirked a brow.

“Why would I be? I’m happy that my friend supports me.” He shrugged, and Kagami clasped her hands behind her back, pacing back to her place smugly.

“You know what I think?” She said, bending her sabre a little and examining the tip. “I think you’re not bothered because you like her, and her having posters of you makes you happy because that means she likes you too.”

Adrien puffed his cheeks grumpily, heart pounding in his chest anxiously. Why couldn’t she understand that Marinette was just a friend? Of course, he thought the world of her! She was literally the coolest person he knew, always sticking her neck out for other people and doing the right thing. He admired her a lot, but that didn’t mean he was in love with her!

Did it?

Marinette didn’t give him the fluttery feeling he got around Ladybug. He was comfortable around her because she was so understanding and friendly, and even though she was loads more incredible than he was, she never made him feel inferior. That was one great thing about Marinette; she always built people up and focused on the positive. If anything, Adrien wanted to be more like her. She radiated positive energy which is why he always felt happier when she was around.

Then again, if Kagami was right, he did look forward to seeing her a lot, and often times he wished he could talk to her more. He was just so busy, and sometimes she got flustered easily when he approached her unexpectedly. All he wanted was to make her feel as comfortable around him as he felt around her. Marinette had become someone important to him, and he cared about her a lot as a friend. Their friendship was something he treasured, sometimes more than his friendships with other people, he realized, but did that mean he was in love with her? 

“I think I’m done practicing today.” Adrien turned and stormed back to the locker rooms, rubbing the back of his neck. He tore open his locker, tossing his helmet inside and ripping his gloves off as he sat on the bench.

“My, my did someone go on a losing streak again?” Plagg taunted, though upon seeing his chosen’s face, he sobered a little.

“Do you think I’m in love with Marinette?” Adrien asked, lowering his gaze to his shoes.

“I do my best not to think about human love; it ruins my appetite,” Plagg said, turning away and crossing his arms over his chest. “But…you do always seem happy to see her.”

“Well, I am happy to see her. I’m happy to see all of my friends, but…maybe sometimes I am especially happy to see Marinette.” He pursed his lips. “It’s just…when I’m with Ladybug, I feel so strongly, but with Marinette, I don’t get any of the heart fluttering or thoughts racing. She just makes me happy, and I feel like no matter what she won’t judge me.” He paused to glance back up at Plagg. “Do you think there’s more than one type of love?”

“Well, considering I know the kwami of love, I know that there are approximately 10,970,000 ways to feel love,” Plagg said with a hint of mild disgust, and Adrien’s gut clenched at the thought. Was he really in love with Marinette? He wasn’t entirely sure, but he supposed there was only one way to find out.

“Oh, Adrien, welcome,” Mrs. Cheng greeted when she opened the door to the Dupain-Cheng apartment. “What can we do for you?”

“Is Marinette here?” He asked politely but with a focused determination.

“Yes, she’s in her room- Marinette!” She turned and called up the stairs. “Would you like some tea, Adrien?”

“No, thank you. I won’t be staying long.” He waved her away.

Marinette appeared at the top of the stairs with a curious expression, eyes widening when she caught sight of him as she descended. His heart hammered in his chest, and he paid close attention to his reactions. She was very pretty with bright eyes and faint freckles, and her smile could light up any room. He’d never denied that she was attractive, but he’d never considered her romantically before. Whenever he had looked at her, he only ever saw the face of a friend, but looking at her now…

“Adrien? What’s up?” She asked, shifting her weight a little.

“Are you free tomorrow?” He asked, skipping straight to the punch.

“Tomorrow? I, uh, yeah, I’m free. Why?”

“Will you have dinner with me?” He asked, and she visibly startled.

“I- dinner- with you? I-” She glanced over at her parents who nodded encouragingly. “I’d love you- _to_! I’d love to.”

“Awesome. I’ll pick you up around 7.” He smiled before turning back to the door and waving over his shoulder. “See you at school.”

As he made his way down the stairs, he shoved his hands in his pockets with a sigh. Everything felt so jumbled and confusing now. He didn’t know how he felt about her, but he intended to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get Adrien's side of the story! I decided to change up the ending of Troublemaker so he never confronted Marinette about the photos and doesn't think much of them, but don't worry she's not gonna get off that easily. ;)  
> See you guys soon with the next chapter!


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